Facebook Releases WordPress Plugin For Instant Articles

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Facebook has introduced a WordPress plugin to target the millions of publishers on the popular platform as the launch date of instant articles comes closer. In a blog post, the social networking giant noted that the WordPress open-source publishing platform “now powers more than 25 percent of sites on the web.”

Facebook Releases WordPress Plugin For Instant Articles

Making it easier to post and edit articles

In the blog post, the social media giant said it is partnering with WordPress.com’s parent Automattic to release an Instant Article WordPress plugin. Now it will be simpler and easier for content creators, from blogs to major media houses, to correctly adapt and edit articles for the social media platform’s audience with the help of the new plugin.

Facebook is working to erase any sort of hesitancy publishers might have regarding the technicalities of working with Instant Articles and is hoping the new plugin will help in alleviating the fear of bloggers or writers. The plugin supports native autoplay video and social and interactive graphic embeds, the social media giant said in the blog post.

Clarifying the merits of the plugin, Facebook provided two ways the plugin can be used to design optimized visuals and media for articles. It also includes a piece from Foreign Policy magazine.

Chris Ackermann from Facebook’s partner engineering team said, “Publishers that use standard WordPress templates can activate the plugin out-of-the-box to create Instant Articles. Publishers that want a more customized production experience can extend the plugin to support additional elements.”

Facebook encouraging feedback from publishers

To help in developing the open-source plugin, the social media giant is also encouraging publishers to submit feedback. Any publisher or writer who wants to give his/her thoughts is directed to GitHub. The social media giant notes that the plugin is still “in early stages the underlying APIs (like filters, classes, etc.) may change.”

For content creators, one of the main perks is the additional advertising revenue offered through the electronic publishing feature. The WordPress Plugin is available to download immediately via GitHub.

Instant Articles was launched last year with a selected number of publishing partners, including The Washington Post and The New York Times and was designed with the aim of creating a prompt and immersive reading experience for users on the platform.

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